Background
‘Recycled Advertising’ was Chiat/Day's concept for Ecover and was based on the knowledge that—after a typical print run for a billboard poster campaign—a lot of sheets don't get used and just go to waste.
Tons of these surplus poster sheets were allocated for the purpose of creating new billboard posters from old ones. In this way, old advertising campaigns could be 'recycled' without contributing further to pollution, which also reinforced Ecover's commitment to environmental sustainability.
The brief
Including myself, 52 artists were commissioned to design, illustrate, and write copy for their own adverts, creating a 96-page billboard poster (over 3 × 12 meters in size). Each poster was made by cutting and tearing surplus advertising sheets and assembling a collage solely from these materials. The only other requirements were that each design include an Ecover packshot and leave space for ‘Recycled Advertising’ to be stenciled onto the poster.
Artists were invited to assemble their posters at a warehouse in South London. The finished billboards were displayed at locations all over London, and at the time, the campaign was dubbed ‘London’s biggest outdoor art show.’
My own poster - ‘On A Mission To Save The Planet’ - was the only one put forward by Chiat/Day for Campaign’s Poster Awards 1992. It was also featured in the Phaidon design book ‘Graphic Agitation’ by Liz McQuiston (see below).
The 96 sheet size billboard poster in London's Whitechapel
Poster selected for Campaign's Poster Awards 1992 (unfortunately, pipped at the post by Jazz FM)
The campaign and poster is featured in the book, Graphic Agitation, by Liz McQuiston
